Tragedy Brings Strange Bedfellows
by Nighteyes27
Summary: After Scott's death, Jean receives comfort from an...unusual source


Tragedy Brings Strange Bedfellows  
  
Rating: R for adult situations and language.  
  
Summary: After Scott's death, Jean receives comfort from the other woman who loved him dearly, once upon a time.  
  
Disclaimer: Scott 'Cyclops' Summers, Nathan 'Cable' Summers, Jean 'Phoenix' Grey-Summers, Madelyne Pryor and all other Marvel characters mentioned don't belong to me-they belong to Marvel. I'm using them without permission, don't sue. I'm making no money off this.  
  
Author's Note: Feedback welcomed at MegCA86@aol.com. The inspiration for this came out of reading back issues of Uncanny X-Men. I thought about Jean and Maddie, the two major women in Scott's life, and got to thinking about his relationship with the two of them-and between them. I don't know what Maddie's status is at this point in time, so I'm just gonna say she's a regular, run-of-the-mill person. Also, she's fairly sane, although still lacking in perspective. I am aware this is a fragmented and totally unrealistic piece, but I have an odd mind. What can I say? ;-P  
  
*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Jean Grey's eyes narrowed. She felt a *very* familiar mind near her own, and she *really* didn't want to talk to this particular person right now. Especially not with her husband five months dead, her telekinesis gone but her telepathy doubled, and this a woman that had caused him so much pain.  
It was 3 AM. That was enough reason to go back to sleep, and let the Mansion get leveled again, and the X-Men captured. 'We always survive. We'll bounce back. We always do.' Yet she couldn't help but think of the *one* X-Man that *didn't* bounce back.  
She knew that wasn't fair-he wasn't the only X-person to never come back from a mission. But, to her, it seemed like he was. 'All right, Jean, back to sleep.'  
She tried. But she couldn't. 'Damn,' she cursed. 'I'd better go see what she wants...and make sure she's no threat.'  
She *really* didn't want to get out of her nice, warm, comfortable bed at three o'clock, and walk outside barefoot. But something propelled her to do so, to walk into a clearing in the bordering woods, and look into the pale face of Madelyne Pryor. The Goblin Queen. The biological mother of Jean's son, Nathan Christopher Charles Dayspring Askani'son Summers-shortened to Nathan Dayspring Summers, usually. Or Cable, as he was to all but a select few.  
"Madelyne," Jean said, and it came out colder than Bobby Drake. Then she registered that A: Maddie wasn't trying to fight, and B: Maddie looked somewhat uncomfortable.  
"Jean," Maddie said, and Jean almost had a heart attack as she realized that Maddie was rasping. She almost sounded...upset.  
"I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry about Scott."  
Jean stood stock-still for a moment, then her jaw tightened. "Don't you dare say his name!" she hissed venomously. "You don't deserve to."  
This, at least, was familiar ground. Much better than having to face their emotions. A fight they could both rehash. "He was my husband too!" Madelyne snapped back.  
Jean's lips curled back. "Yes, until you turned evil, tried to sacrifice your son and open a portal to unleash Hell onto Earth!"  
Somehow they had closed the distance between them and were face to face, snarling.  
"After *you* stole him!" Madelyne snapped. "I *had* him! He was *mine*! Then *you* came back, and I lost *everything*! Do you *know* what Sinister threatened to do to Nathan and myself if I *didn't* cooperate! I admit, I made some *bad* choices afterwards, but originally it *wasn't* my fault!"  
"Yeah, that's what they all say," Jean sneered.   
Madelyne's eyes widened, and she slapped Jean. Snarling, she spat out "Don't you *dare* judge me, O Killer of the B'Nai system! The Dark Phoenix was as much you as the Goblin Queen was me!"  
Jean's eyes narrowed. "Don't touch me again!" she breathed angrily.  
"Or what?" Madelyne demanded, a smirk on her face. She jabbed a finger into Jean's breastbone. "You'll make me?"  
Jean's eyes blazed. Madelyne was secretly pleased with the reaction she got. Suddenly, Jean grabbed both of Madelyne's hands. Holding them securely, she shoved her face a millimeter from Madelyne's.  
"Don't. Touch. Me," and her voice was like flint.  
They stayed in that pose for a while, breathing in each other's exhalations until Madelyne moved. She did the one thing Jean wasn't expecting.  
She kissed her.  
Suddenly, they were kissing each other heatedly, tearing off each other's clothes. Madelyne pushed Jean down and began sucking at her throat. In turn, Jean's hands began to wander all over Madelyne, almost bruising their intensity.  
It wasn't love, not for either of them, although it did take them term 'Love/Hate Relationship' to a new high.  
For Madelyne, it was a chance to feel normal again. For Jean, Madelyne was a substitution. 'Isn't that ironic?' she thought hazily somewhere in their-well, rutting. 'She was a substitution for me, and now I substitute her for him.'  
Then they fell asleep curled in each others' arms.  
  
"Are you all right?" Cable asked. His left eye blazed, the mismatched pair focussing uncomfortably on Jean. "I saw you walk in this morning in your pajamas, tousled."  
She lifted an eyebrow at him. 'I wonder what he thinks I did. Jeez, sleeping with the biological mother of my stepson, who also happens to be my clone. Incest? Life is weird that way.'  
'I don't care.'  
When she had woken up, Madelyne had already left. A scrawled note was left.

Nice fuck, Jeannie. Was it good for you? It was good for me. Remind me why we aren't we sleeping together regularly. Call 555-5555 if you need anything.  
~M

  
She knew it wasn't love. Who knew? maybe it would be, someday. Jean doubted it. There was too much between them.  
But it was comfort. It was warmth and not being alone for both of them. It was a blazing hot night in a successive string of very cold ones.  
And if she-or Madelyne-ever needed it again, they knew where to find each other.


End file.
